2001 3rd Tour Down Under

Standing in the warmth of a summer’s evening chatting to the Linda McCartney team’s PR certainly made a change from the winter weather left back in England.

The team were riding with extra sponsors logos. One was Jacob’s Creek the South Australian wine producer with big sales in the UK. But I was a bit surprised to see that the new jerseys also had the logo of luxury car maker Jaguar prominently displayed.

There was time for a brief word with John Tanner before it was time to get out on the circuit for a place amongst the enormous crowds lining the streets of Glenelg - a “city” that is, effectively, the state capital’s seaside suburb.

And since all the major transport routes and centres of population radiate out from Adelaide this also helps maximise exposure.

As in 2000 there were ninety-six riders at the start with the LM riders in the list as - Jacob's Creek-Linda McCartney: 41 Maximilliano Sciandri (GBr), 42 Tayeb Braikia (Den), 43 Marcel Gono (Aus), 44 David McKenzie (Aus), 45 John Tanner (GBr), 46 Ciaran Power (Ire), 47 Miguel Martin Perdiguero (Spa) and 48 Juan Carlos Dominguez (Spa).

And as in previous years the race was a good excuse for plenty of non-racing activities in just about every town or suburb that the race touched.

The South Australian media dedicated many pages and plenty of air-time to each day’s racing ...... including front pages and prime time reports.

This time I don’t have the benefit of copies of a daily press release to help recall the events as they happened. But the press cuttings more than make up - in volume at least.

And I do remember the highlight for the team - when on stage 6 David McKenzie held off the field to win by 17sec from Ben Day with  Luca Paolini another 3sec behind. Job well done (see above and left)

So the first big race of the year was over. The team had won its first TDU stage and on TV in front of a massive crowd. There were new and important team sponsors. And they had already got plenty of high profile publicity. What could possibly go wrong?

Well..lots actually. Neither Jacob’s Creek nor Jaguar was actually a paid-up sponsor of the team, and Jaguar actually asked for the logo to be removed because they had never had any intention of providing sponsorship. Plus there was no money at all from Linda McCartney Foods for the 2001 season - they had allowed the use of the name to help attract other sponsors. The game was up. The team had no backing. Everything collapsed and the spectre of ANC’s demise in 1987 was well and truely back.

And what is left today? Some harsh and possibly bitter memories I guess. But at least there is now another story worthy of reading for the serious fan. Coming from team PR John Deering the book “Team on the Run” gets as close as anything will to telling the full story.

And one other thing - possibly the rarest pro team jersey for any collector - the Linda McCartney / Jacob’s Creek / Jaguar jersey of January 2001.

Book Resume
It was the biggest cycling team ever seen in Britain, supported by one of the world's most famous names. They took on the old-school Europeans in their own backyard, pushing a huge wave of support and excitement before them as they shook the foundations of one of the world's most traditional sports. Then, on the brink of greatness, the house of cards folded.
Now, for the first time, the full inside story of the Linda McCartney Pro Cycling Team can be told. Peaks and troughs, mood swings and wheel spins, millionaires and bankrupts, they're all there. You can read the truth about the stars, water-carriers and fixers that make cycling such an enthralling game.
Team on the Run is the unique story of how the most famous vegetarian in the world came to sponsor the world's only vegetarian professional sporting team. Hear about how a small-time British outfit grew so quickly they elbowed their way into the Tour of Italy, putting a fair few Roman noses out of joint before returning home with a share of the spoils. Then delve into the mystery of how a team personally funded and endorsed by one of the world's richest men could dissolve into thin air virtually overnight, millions in the red.
Taking an anecdotal ride from the team's birth in 1998 to its spectacular implosion in 2001, you will be able to picture Sir Paul McCartney knocking out a quick 'Lady Madonna' for the boys on his 'old Joanna’ and David McKenzie making the whole of Italy choke on its prosciutto and cabbage, until the boys limp home battered, bruised and penniless when the well runs dry.
Written by the team's press officer, John Deering, Team on the Run provides a revealing glimpse into the machinations and eye-popping realities of the cycling merry-go-round.
John Deering has written for Procycling and Ride magazines and contributed regularly to Eurosport's cycling coverage. He was into his third year as the Linda McCartney team's press officer at the time of their spectacular implosion, giving him a perfect viewpoint for this highly personalised account.
 Check out Amazon for - Team on the Run: The Inside Story of the Linda McCartney Pro Cycling Team